Loose-leaf binder.



W. G. BALDWIN.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED 0012, 1911.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. BALDWIN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL A.

STEWART, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed October 2, 1911.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that LVVILLIAM G. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a loose leaf binder, and the primary object of my invention is the provision of simple and effective means for holding loose leaves, books, magazines and pamphlets between two covers, whereby the leaves cannot be removed without injury.

Another object of this invention is to provide a binding device that can be advantageously used in public libraries and reading rooms for holding magazines, pamphlets and other matter whereby the matter cannot be surreptitiously removed or stolen.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bindingdevice that can be adjusted to accommodate books of various sizes in a manner that permits of the books being easily handled without any interference on the part of the binder.

A still further object of this invention is to accomplish the above results by a mechanical construction that is durable, inexpensive to manufacture and highly efficient for various purposes.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein like numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the binding device, Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view partly broken away, Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line IV1V of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the binder illustrating a modified form of coupling member.

A binding device in accordance with this invention comprises a coupling member 1 which may be of various shapes, for instance in the form of a tube, as illustrated in Figs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16,1912.

Serial No. 652,383.

2 and 4, then again semi-cylindrical, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the particular shape of the coupling member depending upon the type of the book or holder in connection with which the binding device is used. Soldered or otherwise connected 'to one end of the member 1 is a vertical socket 2 and soldered or otherwise secured to the opposite end of the member 1 is a vertical socket 3. The socket 2 has the lower end thereof closed, as at 4 and the lower end of the socket 3 is open to register with a keyhole 5 formed in a cover 6, the cover constituting the backing for the matter to be held by thebinder. The sockets 2 and 3 have the inner walls thereof screw threaded, and the upper ends of the sockets are provided with confronting slots 7.

Detachably and adjustably arranged with in the socket 2 is a screw 8 having the upper end thereof slotted, as at 9. Mounted in the slot 9 by a pin 10 is the end of a binding bar 11 and the opposite end'of said binding bar is flattened, as at 12 and loosely mounted, as at 13 on the reduced end of a plug 14 screwed in the socket 3. The inner end of the plug has a shank 15 to receive the socket end or stem of a key 16 inserted in the open ing 5 for rotating the plug 14 therein.

The binding bar 11 is provided with equally spaced pointed pins 17 and these pins are adapted to extend through the leaves or matter to be held within the cover 6. The pins extend through openings 18 and 19 provided therefor in a retaining strip 20 and the coupling member 1, said retaining strip being suitably secured to the cover 6 to retain the coupling member 1 in engagement therewith. The cylindrical form of the coupling member 1 assists in maintaining the shape of the back of the cover 6,

' and when the cover is employed for holding voluminous matter and the back thereof is of a greater width, the coupling member can be made flat or semicylindrical as shown in Fig. 5. hen semicylindrical the ends of said coupling member have plates 21 to which the sockets 2 and 3 are connected.

By rotating the key 16, the plug 1 1 can be unscrewed and removed from the upper end of the socket 3. The binding bar 11 can then be swung to a vertical position, thereby releasing the matter held by said bar and the pins 17. When the binding bar 11 is in a vertical position, the plug 8 can be rotated to raise or lower the pivoted end of the binding bar 11, the slots 7 of said sockets providing clearance for said bar when said bar is in close proximity to the retaining strip 20. It is through the medium of this adjustment that a few sheets or voluminous matter can be equally as well held within the cover 6.

From the foregoing it will be observed that it is impossible to open the binding bar 11 unless the key is used, and as said bar is flat and vertically disposed, it can readily extend between the leaves of a magazine or book without injuring the same. WVhen a bound book, as a magazine, is to be held, the pins 17 extend into the binding without injuring the same.

The binding device in its entirety can be made of light and durable metal and can be made of various sizes whereby it can be used for detachably holding various kinds of printed matter.

I reserve the right to provide the coupling member at the ends thereof with a plurality of the sockets whereby a plurality of the bars 11 can be employed, for instance, where a plurality of magazines or pamphlets are to be retained in a single binding.

1. A binding device comprising a cou pling member, vertical sockets carried by the ends thereof, screws detachably mounted in said sockets, a binding bar pivotally connected to one of said screws and loosely connected to the other of said screws, and a key for moving the loosely connected screw whereby said bar can be swung upon its pivot carried by the other screw.

2. A binding device comprising a coupling member, sockets carried by the ends thereof, screws detachably and adjustably mounted in said sockets, a binding bar having one end pivotally connected to one of said screws and its other end loosely connected to the other of said screws, pins carried by said bar, and a key adapted to enter one end of one of said sockets for shifting the movably connected screw out of said socket whereby said bar can be swung upon its pivot carried by the other of said screws.

3. A binding device comprising a conplingmember, vertical sockets carried thereby, screws adjustably mounted in said sockets, a binding bar having one end pivotally connected to one and its other end loosely connected to the other of said screws and adapted to be maintained in parallelism with said coupling member by said screws, and a key adapted to enter one of said sockets for shifting the loosely connected screw out of its socket whereby said binding bar can be swung upon its pivot out of parallelism with said coupling member.

4. A binding device comprising a coupling member, a socket carried by one end thereof, a screw adjustably arranged in said socket, a binding bar pivotally connected. to said screw, a screw revolubly connected to the opposite end of said bar, means carried by said coupling member and adapted to hold said revoluble screw, means carried by said binding bar for binding matter between said bar and said coupling member, and means for facilitating a rotation of said revoluble screw.

5. A binding device comprising a channel shaped coupling member, a vertical socket secured to each end of said member, one of said socket-s having an open lower end, both of said sockets being threaded, a vertically adjustable screw engaging in each of said threaded sockets, one of said screws having its upper end bifurcated, a binding bar having one end pivotally connected in said bifurcated end of said screw, means for loosely connecting the other end of the binding bar to the top of the thread of said screws, said screws normally maintaining said bar in parallelism with respect to said coupling member, means whereby said loosely connected screw can be shifted from its socket to permit of the binding bar being swung upon its pivot out of parallelism with respect to the said member, and pins carried by said binding bar and extending toward said coupling member when the bar is in binding position. 7

In testimony whereof I afiiX my'signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM G. BALDWIN. WVitnesses H. C. Evnn'r, Max H. Snonovrrz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

